Learn the Health Benefits of Yoga and Get in Shape
Yoga has been a popular form of exercise among the health-conscientious for years. Regular yoga practice can build core strength, stamina and muscle flexibility.
Yoga originated over 5,000 years ago, and millions of people today benefit from daily yoga practice. Those who perform yoga exercises everyday experience improved muscle flexibility, core strength, stamina and vitality, along with improved emotional health. There are many resources possible for those interested in this beneficial daily practice.
Yoga For Muscle Flexibility
Many people are put off to the idea of yoga because they think they need a gymnast’s strength and a dancer’s flexibility to practice it. The truth is that it is never too late to increase one’s flexibility. Yoga’s repetition of stretches aids in the release of lactic acid that accumulates in the muscles and joints and causes discomfort and stiffness. As a consequence of continuing yoga activities, one develops a calm, flowing sensation. Many participants experience improved flexibility within weeks of beginning their yoga exercises.
Improved flexibility means several health benefits for those who achieve it. Flexibility reduces the risk of back problems, improves range of motion in the joints, provides better circulation and concentration, and relieves chronic pain.
Yoga for Core Strength
Dancers are often admired for their svelte physiques and impeccable posture. Similarly, consistent yoga practice may have the same effect. Most of the sitting and standing yoga poses and exercises build core strength, and a strong core means better posture awareness. With strong body and good abdominals, a person is more likely to sit and walk straight and tall. Good posture prevents back pain.
Certain yoga poses are more strenuous than others and were created by experts to help improve strength. Power Yoga Total Body Workout by Rodney Yee is one such instructional video that provides full strength and flexibility training for the whole body. Still, it is not for the yoga beginner. Luckily, Yee offers instructional videos for yoga practitioners of all levels: beginners to the avid, experienced practitioner. Local YMCAs also frequently provide yoga classes for those interested, who are more social.
Yoga for Heart Health
The deep breathing involved in yoga exercises has been proven to lower blood pressure and slow the heart rate. A slowed heart rate may help those suffering from hypertension, heart disease, or stroke. Yoga exercise has also been linked to a decrease in cholesterol levels and can boost the immune system.
Yoga For Emotional Health
The emotional effects of yoga are felt almost instantly. The tranquil environment and meditation induce a state of peace and help to alleviate tension and anxiety. The relaxation involved in doing yoga results in a decrease of catecholamines, which are hormones produced in response to stress. A reduction in these hormones creates a feeling of calm. Patients with depression have also found that this helps in treating their disease.
Daily yoga practice benefits millions of individuals and is very simple to begin. The purchase of a yoga mat is all that’s needed, though later, some increase the difficulty of their workouts by adding weights to the wrists and ankles. Find a local class, purchase an instructional video, and begin reaping the many benefits of daily yoga exercise.